Best Exercise Bike For Steady Cardio Workouts

Before we decide which is the best exercise bike, we need to understand what “steady cardio workouts” are. What it means is we exercise at a moderate and even rate. Instead of; ready, steady, go, it is more like; ready, go steady! Great when just starting, and for those still building up their fitness levels.

So why is a steady cardiovascular workout such a big deal?

Exercise bikes build stamina

Having endurance allows us to get through whatever the days throws at us. If you are starting an exercise program, then you need to increase your endurance. This is to make sure you have enough energy to carry out normal daily tasks, as well as perform your exercise routines.

Steady cardio will not exhaust you

A steady workout before work will leave you with energy reserves for your day ahead. It will not over fatigue you compared to other exercise regimes where your body has to work hard to recover.

Can be fun

Choose an exercise you enjoy and go from there. You are more likely to stick with something you find enjoyable. Many stop their routines through boredom and so never achieve their fitness goals.

Aerobic fitness

You are building and increasing your aerobic fitness levels. The main part of your body that benefits from this is your heart. Being a muscle, regular steady cardio exercise will help it to grow and become more efficient.

So now we have a clear picture of what we want to achieve, it is time to look at the important features our ideal exercise bike must have…

Adjustable resistance

A simple control so we can easily vary the amount of resistance is a must. This also needs to be mounted in a position that is easy to see and access.

Resistance range

We want enough choices of resistance levels so we can continue to use this bike for some time. As our stamina increases we will want to slowly increase our efforts to continue our growth.

Comfortable

This comes back to the issue of sticking with something we enjoy. If the saddle is uncomfortable to sit on, I’m sure we will not be looking forward to getting on it. Having plenty of adjustments will allow us to set the best position for our riding.

Reliable

This is a medium to long term plan so we want to avoid any downtime due to mechanical issues or failures. The bike must be durable, stable, and reliable, so it is always ready to train on. Low or no maintenance is always a plus!

Monitors and tracks

We do not want to be fiddling with stop watch apps, wires and clips attached to us, or any other external devices. The bike needs to have a clear and easy to read monitor display that lets us know how we are going. As a minimum, it should tell us things like; how long we have been exercising for, calories burned, distance, speed, and heart rate.

Reasonably priced

There is no need for a super duper exercise machine like those you find in a well equipped gym. For our steady as you go workout, we do not need to simulate going up and down mountains. Something with the above features is enough and you should expect to pay only a moderate price to get them.

Suitable for home use

We do not want it to be a giant mechanical monster. Just a quiet and easy to move around piece of exercise equipment will be fine. Even a folding exercise bike, as long as it met all the above criteria, would work. So long as it is smooth and easy to pedal, all should be fine.

In conclusion, a stationary exercise bike is the best exercise bike to use if you want to experience steady and regular cardio workouts. Which model and brand you choose is a personal choice. If you want some help, we have reviewed folding exercise bikes here.

Our blog also has some information on new releases and mini bikes. Please leave a comment below if you want other topics covered. Many thanks for reading!